Vegas teen pleads not guilty in CHP officer death

VICTORVILLE, Calif. 
A Las Vegas teenager pleaded not guilty Tuesday to vehicular manslaughter and other felony counts in the weekend death of a California Highway Patrol officer on Interstate 15 in the Mojave Desert.

Rafael Garcia, 18, was charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, child endangerment and transportation of marijuana. If convicted, he could be sentenced to eight years, four months in prison.

Garcia remained held at the San Bernardino County Jail in Victorville on $500,000 bail. A status conference is scheduled for July 8.

CHP Officer Justin McGrory and another officer had stopped a car in the Barstow area, about 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles, early Sunday when Garcia's car veered onto the shoulder and struck the 28-year-old officer, said San Bernardino county prosecutors.

Deputy District Attorney Jill Gregory said a 12-year-old child was in car, but she could not elaborate on details.

She also said 68 grams of marijuana were found in Garcia's vehicle. Laboratory tests were being performed to determine if Garcia was under the influence of marijuana or alcohol at the time of the crash, Gregory said.

McGrory was one of five CHP officers killed in the line of duty in less than two months.

In the Paso Robles area along California's central coast, 47-year-old CHP Officer Brett Oswald was killed Sunday evening while waiting for a tow truck to remove an abandoned car from a road. A woman lost control of her car and rear-ended his patrol car, sending the officer airborne.

CHP motorcycle Officer Tom Coleman, 33, of Fontana, died June 11 after hitting a big-rig while chasing a car at speeds of up to 100 mph in the San Bernardino County town of Redlands. Richard Perez, 20, of Redlands has pleaded not guilty to murder with a special allegation of causing a peace officer's death. He could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

In Los Angeles, CHP motorcycle Officer Phillip Ortiz died last week at a hospital from injuries suffered June 9 after being struck on the shoulder of Interstate 405 in Los Angeles. A memorial service is being held Wednesday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

On May 7, a CHP pilot was killed when his plane went down in a desert area of Imperial County. The cause of the crash that killed 39-year-old CHP Officer Danny Benavides hasn't been determined.